An intermediate steering shaft connects a primary or main steering shaft on a steering column of a motor vehicle with an input shaft of a steering gear on the vehicle remote from the steering column. Typically, the intermediate steering shaft includes telescopically related solid and tubular shafts having complementary polygonal cross sections for unitary rotation and enough running clearance to permit relative telescopic translation of the shafts for installation of the intermediate steering shaft between the primary steering shaft and the steering gear input shaft. A stiff spring is often interposed between the solid and tubular shafts to eliminate angular lash attributable to the aforesaid running clearance by thrusting the shafts laterally against each other. The thrust of the spring, however, induces friction between the solid and tubular shafts which makes it relatively difficult for an operator to manually vary the length of the intermediate steering shaft during installation.